The present invention relates to an exhaust products handling apparatus for a machine which applies treatment fluid to a length of material and, more particularly, a machine for applying heated treatment fluid in a treatment process in which heated exhaust products are created which may require removal or neutralization of pollutant components thereof before release to the atmosphere.
In machines particularly designed for applying treatment fluid to a traveling length of material such as, for example, machines of the type used in the textile and paper industries which continuously apply treatment fluid to a traveling web of material, exhaust products such as gases which include heated air are created during the treatment process and the volume and character of these exhaust products can vary at different treatment locations along the extent of the machine. For example, in a textile machine for applying treatment fluid to a web of textile material such as, for example, a tenter frame, a typical treatment process involves initially drying the web of textile material and thereafter subjecting the web to a fixing or condensation treatment, depending upon the type of fiber comprising the textile material, the desired color, and other parameters. Although it is not uncommon for large quantities of steam to be created at the locations of the machine at which the drying of the web of textile material occurs, the steam as an exhaust product is typically in such a clean state--e.g. free of pollutants--it can be released directly to the atmosphere without further conditioning or handling. On the other hand, the exhaust products created during the fixing or condensation treatment of the web often comprise chemical components which must be removed or neutralized before the exhaust products can be released and, accordingly, special exhaust product reconditioning devices must be provided for reconditioning such pollutant-laden exhaust products.
Since the operating cost for reconditioning pollutantladen exhaust products is not insignificant, it is desirable to minimize the volume of exhaust products handled by such special devices. Although one approach to minimizing the volume of exhaust products conditioned by such special devices is to channel the pollutant-free exhaust products (e.g., steam) along a separate route to be vented directly to the atmosphere, difficulties arise in implementing this solution due to the variable nature of the "border" between the "drying" area of the machine in which the drying process occurs and the other area of the machine in which the fixing or condensation occurs. For example, the area of the machine devoted to the drying process may be increased or decreased depending upon increases or decreases in the speed of travel of the textile material web through the machine; changes in the material composition of the web itself; the travel through the machine of portions of the web which have been subjected to different pretreatment steps than other portions of the web; or changes in the operating temperature of the machine. Accordingly, the need exists for an exhaust products handling apparatus having the flexibility to accommodate variations in the location of the "border" between different treatment regions of the machine which produce exhaust products having different characteristics.